Word: zhivkov
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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SOFIA, Bulgaria--The Bulgarian Parliament yesterday ousted former Communist leader Todor Zhivkov as head of state and approved a series of government changes that forced out several Zhivkov supporters and put reformers into positions of power...
...member National Assembly voted unanimously by a show of hands to oust Zhivkov and to replace him with Petar Mladenov, who took over from Zhivkov as party chief last week. Deputies praised Mladenov for his "enthusiasm" for perestroika, Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev's reform program...
About 10,000 people rallied outside parliament yesterday, demanding that Zhivkov be tried in court on allegations he amassed a fortune while Bulgaria's economy deteriorated...
...crowd at the state-sponsored rally loudly cheered deputy Slavcho Trnski, who launched an unprecedented attack on Zhivkov during the parliament session. Marchers carrying banners for perestroika and waving Bulgarian flags chanted, "Zhivkov to court...
Organized dissent is nonexistent in such a tightly controlled society; in any case, deep-seated nationalism has cemented widespread, largely unquestioning loyalty to the system. The folksy Zhivkov, after nearly 34 years in power, remains remarkably popular, especially with rural Bulgarians, and is believed to be in good health. He has shown no inclination to move off the political stage but has hinted that he may retire within the next two years. No one knows whether that too is a reform that might be pushed back...